Japan's Big Science Takes Big Hit from Big Disasters

One of the most affected centers is Tohoku University, which was near the epicenter of the quake in Sendai. The institution was one of Japan's preeminent materials science, engineering and biomedicine centers, but will be shut down until at least the end of April, according to a report from Nature News. Tohoku University is home to the Cyberscience Center, which houses a 31.2 teraflop system, but as of now, there are no updates about the status of the resource. As it stands, the university area is difficult to access due to dangerous aftershocks, and recovery efforts are being hindered by a lack of electricity and water.